Found a weird trick for fixing sticky door hinges with a pencil

Was at my parents' house in Ohio last weekend and their front door was sticking so bad you had to shoulder check it to get in. My dad was about to go buy a new hinge set for like $30. I remembered seeing something online about rubbing a pencil on the hinge pin. Took the pins out, scribbled on them with a #2 pencil, put them back in. Door swings smooth as new now. No WD-40, no sanding. Has anyone else tried just graphite from a pencil for stuff like this?

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the_nina1d ago

Yeah graphite is fine for light duty stuff but that's not a permanent fix. The real problem is the hinge pin or the barrel itself is wearing down or slightly bent, not just dry. Over time that graphite will just wear off and you'll be right back to shoulder checking the door. If it was truly just dry and sticking, sure, pencil works. But nine times out of ten a sticking door means the hinge screws are loose or the frame has shifted from settling. Pencil lead isn't gonna fix that. You'd be better off just tightening the screws and maybe sanding the door edge a little. That's a more lasting solution.